I Have a GOOD Bach! But…

[Dizzyr1971]

Great video with Sandoval. My vote, keep the horn
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I'm a non-pro player, I started trumpeting in 1980(!), studying jazz and improvisation in 2010, with the Barry Harris method from 2020. I also study piano
Olds Supers 1946+1965
Reynolds Argenta 1961
CarolBrass CTR-5060L-YST-Bb-L
Couesnon Flugelhorn

[zaferis]

[Wondra]

A couple suggestions:

On the day you go to ITG, go to the exhibit hall the second it opens and find K.O. Skinsnes at the Stomvi USA booth. Tell him what refinements you want in your sound and see if he has a mouthpiece that will give you the adjustment you are after. K.O. is a master at this and is a straight shooter. You will also find many other mouthpiece makers that could provide similar help.

If mouthpiece adjustment doesn't work, consider a Bach 18037G. My hearing is sensitive, so I needed to tone down the beautiful brilliance that comes out of a 37 bell. I found that the gold brass bell toned down the brilliance just a little and added a bit more warmth. This solution worked for me.

Bach has a private room, so you could go and try a 37G, or other Bach horns. I you decide to do this, get to Bach's private room the second it opens. One of the Bach people in the room can listen to you play and give you impressions as well.

It's great to hear that you have a fine playing Bach in your hands already, best wishes on settling in on a solution that works for you!
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Dave Wondra

Don't make me get the flying monkeys...

[Vin DiBona]

Keep the horn.
Record yourself with decent recording equipment and hear what you really sound like. What you hear from the bell and what people a few feet away from you hear can be two different things.
A friend and mentor who was a frequent extra (and is on numerous recordings) in the Chicago Symphony once told me that Herseth's sound up close could be a bit "noisy", but a few feet way it was the incredible sound he had for all those years.
In the mid 80's, I bought a Bach 37 that could peel paint. I did not keep that horn and went to a 72/43 large bore. I also played a Vindobona with a 43(!) bell.
Both were good horns.
I now have a hand picked 19037 in silver hand picked by the friend mentioned about. That is a great horn.
You must find a horn that gives you the sound that is in your head, which you can adjust to the style you what for the genre you are playing in.

R. Tomasek

[Rhondo]

More context:

I had played a 18037 G bell converted to reverse leadpipe in my comeback since December. From behind the horn, at least at full blast, I liked the sound better.

I liked the less edgy sound of the high end Yamaha the pro player was switching off to when comparing play to my ‘GOOD’ Bach. (He had the Yamaha only because a brass band he’s in wants him to use it. He prefers Bachs.)

The ‘GOOD’ Bach I have now when you step on the gas can be ear splitting depending on the acoustics of the room. The G bell wasn’t like that, it seemed just right to me, but I definitely like the responsiveness and ‘playability’ of this standard configuration ‘GOOD’ Bach better. I just feel like I need to back off of full volume or cut that edge off in some way. That may be easier or feel more natural to do with time.

As Dayton mentioned, I probably wouldn’t lose much if I want to sell the horn in the future.

[Rhondo]

Update:
So, I’ve had a 1952 Olds Recording for a week and I’m in love with it. It just feels like the best horn I’ve ever played. Easier to play than the Bach and more flexible. Slots fantastic. Sound suits me much better. The lower register especially- barks like I never imagined, but on up is great too. I just love playing it, and each time it seems like I find there’s more to uncover with it. Practicing is more fun.

I’ll hold onto the Bach for now, but I may not see enough reason to keep it.

[mograph]

A pro player and teacher recently praised my '85 Bach as a good horn ... this was unprompted, and offered more than once.

Not only am I keeping it, I'm going to see what I can do to sound even better on it. Because any limitations aren't in the horn, they're in my technique.
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1985 Bach 37
1980 King 601 (it's bulletproof!)
1978 Couesnon flugelhorn
Playing for fun since 1979.
Fmr member 48th Highlanders of Canada Mil Band
Into that jazz devil music

[Andy Cooper]

[Tuningbell]

You might need a new mouthpiece to get the sound you think you want/need.
I’d keep the horn and experiment with mouthpieces.. WARNING: This is a dangerous rabbit hole to enter and without a good teacher or knowledgeable musicians in your circle to listen to the sound on the bell side of the horn. What you hear playing isn’t what the audience hears.

[jondrowjf@gmail.com]

Your local music store is likely to have a variety of used mouthpieces at a reasonable price.
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Leblanc Vito alto sax ( possibly a Jupiter 669 stencil)
Cornet less at this time.

[Jaw04]

There would be nothing wrong with keeping it, and there would be nothing wrong with selling it either. It's like choosing an outfit. What makes you comfortable, how do you want to present yourself, what's the occasion, etc. Your teacher is basically telling you this is a great outfit, it's up to you if you like how you feel in that outfit or not.

[yourbrass]

I've played hundreds of Bach trumpets over my career as a repair man. I'm with the others- keep the horn. BUT, the Recording is also an excellent trumpet, in a different way. If you can afford them both it will be a fun back and forth as you practice and take them out into playing situations.
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"Strive for tone." -John Coppola
Benge 3X+, ACB 2C, Mt. Vernon Bach backbore
Courtois 156, James New custom piece
https://yourbrass.com/
https://lionelemde.smugmug.com/